


Acting strangers

by 700wordsAmonth



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, One Shot, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25906138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/700wordsAmonth/pseuds/700wordsAmonth
Summary: In the last two months, there’d been a significant upgrade to the weapons revenants had been getting their hands on.Wynonna, Waverly and the boys had been able to track those weapons down to a club that was slightly higher class than most of the clubs in the Ghost River Triangle, and within it, one face gets Waverly's attention, and apparently there's some learning to be had.Or the excuse that I found to have Nicole wearing *that* buttonless shirt.
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 48
Kudos: 217





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sum of all my reasonings for this one shot:  
> https://westerngayfairytales.tumblr.com/post/623506282047995904/wynonnatheearp-photosxyves-queen-of-hearts

Taking a deep breath, Waverly checked herself on the mirror: her hair had been made curlier than usual, and a long golden dress hugged her torso while its high split displayed her left thigh. She looked beautiful. Nervous, but beautiful.

Still staring at herself, she brought a glass of whisky to her lips and downed it like a shot.

“ _Show time.”_

* * *

In the last two months, there’d been a significant upgrade to the weapons revenants had been getting their hands on. Like, a military level upgrade.

Wynonna, Waverly and the boys had been able to track those weapons down to a club that was slightly higher class than most of the clubs in the Ghost River Triangle, _Fedora._ Its owner was a man that went by the name Felippo, and, despite the fact that he was arming revenants, so far they hadn’t been able to find any indication that the guy was a revenant himself.

That was what brought them to the club: figuring out what Felippo’s deal was, killing him dead if he was a revenant, and… _not_ killing him if he was just a regular criminal. Nedley would take it from there, Waverly assumed, if that were to be the case.

Doc would pose as a regular client – he’d fit in like a glove –, Wynonna as a dancer – as she’d had experience in the area –, and Waverly as a singer, given that Wynonna had been about to flush the plan down the toilet to keep Waverly from having to do lap dances for _Axe-smelling fucking fuckers._

* * *

Waverly got on the stage and took a look around. The house was pretty full, though she was still able to spot their target as he talked to the employees who worked the bar. Wynonna walked past him and winked at Waverly.

She had it under control, then.

Looking over the crowd as she prepared herself to start her set, Waverly noticed a stunning woman with red hair braided into a low bun. A few strands were let loose, framing her face.

Her blouse called Waverly’s attention too, it looked like a buttonless, long blazer that showed the woman’s mid chest shamelessly, but hid her breasts, shoulders, and arms almost fully. And there were plenty women in that room wearing only a bikini for a top, but for some reason it was that particular choice of what to hide and what to show that had Waverly’s tongue stuck to her palate. 

It was when the first keys of the piano sounded from beside her that she realized she’d been staring.

Refocusing on the task at hand, Waverly started singing.

_You, you think you’re a lion_

_Out in the wild_

_You need to be tamed_

From the stage, Waverly’s eyes found Felippo still at the bar, his own eyes locked on the club’s entrance.

_And uh, can you hear the sirens_

_Imma put you under like novocaine_

He straightened up suddenly and moved to meet a younger man that was just coming in with a big suitcase. Felippo quickly directed the newcomer to the second floor.

Anxious to signal Wynonna to what was happening, Waverly missed the next verse, and found her sister already standing by the stairs, blue eyes intent on the two men as they left the saloon.

Shaking the distraction off, Waverly refocused on the song.

_They were made to be broken_

_Boys are like rules_

_They were made to be broken_

_Girls are like guns_

_You better run when they’re smokin’_

As she sang, her gaze met the woman from before, who was looking directly at her.

With those lyrics on her mind, Waverly found it hard to look away, despite being aware that she was virtually serenading the last two chorus of the song to that woman.

As the song drew to a finish, Waverly forced her gaze to take in her whole audience, but found herself meeting the woman’s eyes again for the last verse.

_You better run_

The timid applause she got was still enough to have her lowering her eyes, and before she could signal the pianist to start their second song, Johnny, Felippo’s right hand in the club, signaled to her, coming to the front of the tiny stage from amidst the tables.

“Hey, new girl, Anita will sing in your place. The lady over there wants you to dance for her.”

“ _What?_ No, I don’t do lap dances. I'm a singer. That's what we agreed upon.”

“For the price she’s paying, sweet cheeks, you’re dancing.”

“Hey, no way,” Wynonna intervened, coming to stand between them. “I told you, I do the dances, my sister is an artist.”

“I don’t care is she’s freaking Adele, you two want the job? Then she’ll dance. I don’t even know what the big deal is. It’s not as if I’m asking her to dance for a dude.”

_“That doesn’t-”_

“ _Fine!”_ , Waverly interrupted her sister before she could get the both of them kicked off the club. “I can dance for her.”

“Wave-”

Waverly squeezed Wynonna’s hand, a reassuring almost-smile taking her lips. “It’s ok, I can do this.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“You know I’ll ruin that pretty face if she crosses any line with you, don’t you?”

Wynonna’s threats of murder and mayhem in her behalf always warmed her heart.

“I know. Just keep an eye on her? On Us?”

“Of course.”

Waverly stopped by the woman’s table, angry with her despite her reassurances to her sister.

The nerve of this woman to ask the singer for a lap dance. Entitled asshole.

“You know, I’m a singer, not a dancer.”

The woman pulled a few notes from a sleek wallet that sat on the table and placed them under her glass.

“I’ll make it worth your time.”

Waverly rolled her eyes, uninterested in the offer.

“It’s not about the money.”

The woman smiled, amused, “And that’s your second mistake.”

 _“Excuse me?”_ Waverly seethed, angry, confused and, honestly, a little offended at the notion of having commited any misstep.

The redhead indicated a chair. “Sit, please.”

Choosing her battles and curious despite herself, Waverly sat down.

“Listen, I don’t care how rich you are, you even think of touching me during this dance, and my sister will kick your ass.”

The woman grabbed a leg of Waverly’s chair and pulled it to her.

_“Hey!”_

“ _And_ there’s your third.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Waverly could see Wynonna by the bar, clearly as furious as herself with how things were developing, and a few seconds away from making good on her promise of violence.

“You’re undercover,” the woman stated quietly.

That got Waverly’s attention. She raised her hand slightly, a clear _wait_ gesture to keep Wynonna from storming to them.

“No, I’m not.”

“When you were on the stage, you tracked Felippo’s every movement, you even missed your cue. So, either you’re in love with him, which, no offense to him, but I doubt it, or he’s your mark.”

Waverly just stared at the woman, unsure of what course of action would make her seem less guilty.

“And you’re not interested in money. Believe me, every single girl in here, except for you and your sister, of course, is in it for the cash: this is not the type of club that caters to their employees’ needs. _And_ …” the woman elongated that single syllable, as if she didn’t yet have Waverly’s full attention, “finally, you implicated your colleague. You just handed me the information that _your sister_ is not in it for the money either.”

“I don’t know what you think you figured out, but I’m not a cop.”

At least that wasn’t a lie. She was trying to bring in bad guys, yes, but a cop she was not.

“Yea, I know. You’re too green, they wouldn’t have sent you like this.”

Waverly huffed, offended again and not as worried as she should have been in that moment. “I’m not green.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” the redhead placated her, “It just means you need a bit more training. You gotta get in character.”

Waverly studied beautiful honeyed eyes, feeling her heart speed up.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Rayleigh.”

“Are _you_ a cop?”

Rayleigh smiled. “No. Can I buy you a drink?”

Deciding to go with it for the moment, Waverly acquiesced. “Something sweet.”

Rayleigh’s smile shifted. She seemed almost proud. Her hand went up and barely five seconds later there was a girl by their side.

“Whiskey neat for me and…” she looked at Waverly, “a piña colada for the lady?”

Waverly nodded, and then it was just them again.

“Come here,” Rayleigh indicated her own thigh, her left hand extended towards Waverly, reinforcing her request.

Waverly felt the blood rise to her cheeks, a _no_ clear in her expression, though it didn’t leave her lips.

“I paid a pretty penny for your boss to bring you to me. You don’t have to dance, but we gotta put on a decent show.”

It should have sounded manipulative: the woman was basically saying that Waverly’s cover would be blown if she didn’t sit on her lap, but Waverly couldn’t really see malice in her eyes, so she did as she was told, but kept her body as far as possible from the other woman’s torso.

“Relax,” Rayleigh encouraged, “remember who your character is.”

Waverly looked at her, feeling her own eyes a bit teary from embarrassment.

“What are you here for, sweetheart?” Rayleigh asked, the arch of her eyebrow not unlike that of a teacher trying to guide their student to the right answer.

Clearing her throat, Waverly answered. “Money.” 

Rayleigh hummed, pleased, a _good job_ going by without words.

“And what do you want from me?”

Waverly released air she hadn’t noticed she was holding.

“Money.”

“That’s right. You know how you get it?” Rayleigh paused, more for dramatic effect than to give Waverly a chance to answer on her own. “You play me.”

And that- Well, that was something Waverly had known how to do since she was 16. The reasons had been less obscure back then, she’d just had to charm her boyfriend away from stupid fights and bad decisions, but still, she knew how to flirt people into doing what she wanted.

Breathing easier still, Waverly put her right arm around Rayleigh’s shoulder, fingers playing lazily with the wisps of hair at the back of her neck.

She finally allowed her eyes to follow the ample amount of skin shown by Rayleigh’s blazer, tempted to let her left hand walk the same path.

“Who are you?”

“I’m just Rayleigh.”

 _“Right,”_ Waverly conceded in an unimpressed tone, “and what are you doing here?”

“I have a… _show_ to schedule.”

“A show, huh?”

“Yes, a show.”

"Should I be worried?"

"No, ma'am," Rayleigh answered in a heavier accent, tipping an imaginary hat. "I'm not in the business of putting beautiful women in harm's way. Not in that business at all."

Their drinks arrived then.

Rayleigh sipped some of hers and put it down, moving her hand to Waverly’s right thigh, which was covered by her dress, its slit showing the skin of her left one.

Waverly sucked slowly on the straw of her drink, bringing Rayleigh’s attention to her lips.

“You gave me so many acting tips, I should have known you were in the business of entertainment.”

“What can I say, I’m a lover of the arts.”

Rayleigh’s eyes were shining in mirth, and Waverly was sure hers were responding in kind.

“Of course you are.”

Faster than Waverly should have allowed herself, she’d finished her piña.

She ran the tips of her fingers, cooled by the drink, down Rayleigh’s jaw, guiding her lips to her own. It was a light kiss, a simple brush of lips, enticing and promising without giving too much.

Rayleigh opened her eyes slowly to meet Waverly’s already attentive ones.

“You learn fast,” Rayleigh conceded, and cleared her throat, a light blush now in her cheeks.

“Thank you.”

This time Waverly let her hand trace down Rayleigh’s chest, a bit more distracted by the shivery breath the redhead took in than she wanted to be. “Buy me another drink?”

Rayleigh smiled knowingly, letting herself be played, and raised Waverly’s glass, finding eye contact with the bartender behind them.

Unfortunately, with her drink also came Johnny.

“Felippo is ready to see you now,” he directed himself to Rayleigh.

“Sorry, beautiful,” Rayleigh said as she moved to get up, giving Waverly time to get off her lap. She left some cash on the table and winked at Waverly. “Enjoy your drink.”

Waverly watched Rayleigh be walked to the stairs to the second floor of the club.

“Everything ok?” she heard Wynonna ask from right behind her.

“Yea.”

“She didn’t do anything…? I mean, I saw the kiss.”

“No, no. The kiss was okay.”

“ _Right._ I bet it didn’t hurt that she’s freaking gorgeous.”

“Yea, it didn’t hurt at all.” Waverly could hear the smirk in her own voice.

“You _dog!_ ” Her sister exclaimed, and elbowed her lightly, clearly amused.

“She knows we’re undercover, by the way.”

_“What?”_

“But don’t worry, she won’t tell.”

“Wha- How _the hell_ do you know that?”

“Cause she’s a cop.”

Wynonna frowned, her gaze finding the stairs the redhead had just disappeared from. "You think Nedley...?"

"I don't know, haven't seen her around town. But I'm pretty sure we will."


	2. Chapter 2

Waverly looked around the unfamiliar police station as men and women walked around with serious faces and busy steps, keeping her eyes forcefully as far away as she could from the holding cell.

The lights were unforgiving, the same long fluorescent lamps sitting above them with no obstacle to its white, overwhelming glow. They couldn’t leave yet, though. Wynonna, Doc, and Waverly were in the process of being released, but they still needed Nedley to come sign the papers, advocating for their presence in the operation they’d stumbled into.

Jeremy had been able to hack a date and a location from Felippo’s computer, and they’d all found themselves crouching around an abandoned hangar earlier that night. However, they hadn’t been the only ones on Felippo’s trail, which had become very clear when dozens of men in tactical gear had started pouring out from the unkempt vegetation of the abandoned lot next to the hangar.

There’d been shouting and, thankfully, only a couple of shots fired. It all lasted less than five minutes before Waverly had been able to see Felippo and three big guys being carried out in handcuffs, followed closely by Rayleigh, also in handcuffs and with a bright shiner on her left eye.

Now, across the station, Waverly could see the last of the big guys being carried from the holding cell into what she supposed was an interrogation room, leaving only a redhead behind.

Waverly stood up, figuring it was finally safe to come to Rayleigh.

“Baby girl?” Her sister called.

Looking back at Wynonna, she found her sister had already caught on to what had her attention.

 _“Oh,_ spotted your gorgeous criminal slash law-woman, did you?”

There was no point in denying it, Wynonna had already seen her kiss the redhead for no good reason other than that it was possibly in character for her undercover alter-ego.

“Yea, pretty much,” she acknowledged. “I’ll be right back.”

Rayleigh, or whatever her real name was, noticed her approach. She had her forehead resting against the bars, her arms falling through the spaces between them, as her eyes followed Waverly’s path to her.

Standing in front of her, Waverly’s gaze fell on the bruise following the contour of the redhead’s cheekbone.

“Your colleagues did that to you?” Her tone was gentle, as if the words could cause further damage to the abused skin.

Rayleigh shrugged. “Had to make it look real.” Her eyes were locked into Waverly’s as if there was some meaning she wanted to impart.

“A true thespian,” Waverly teased, catching on.

The redhead smiled and lowered her head, her cheeks gaining color. She seemed pleased to resume their conversation from over a week ago.

“I’m Nicole. Detective Nicole Haught.”

 _Detective Haught_. Waverly bit her lower lip to keep herself from smiling.

“Waverly Earp,” she introduced herself and took a step closer, resting her weight on a couple of bars a little to the left of Detective Haught.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Waverly.”

“And you, Detective.”

“Just Nicole,” she asked, her words soft. “Please.”

“Nicole, then.”

“Oy, Waverly!” She suddenly heard from behind her, finding Nedley a few feet away, apparently just arrived to the station. “I see you’ve already met the new addition to the Purgatory Sheriff Department.”

Her eyebrows raised in surprise, feeling a giddiness inflating her chest that was surely being translated in her expression. “You’ll be staying in Purgatory?”

“Yea,” Nicole smiled back at her, her eyes aglow with clear amusement. “Apparently you guys have a lot of crime for such a tiny town.” It should be weird, Nicole’s dimples showing themselves when talking about high crime rates, but Waverly was incapable of holding that against her.

“We definitely do,” Nedley answered. “Your experience with organized crime will definitely help us, especially in keeping those weapons outside.”

“Yessir,” Nicole replied respectfully, her back straighter and chest a little fuller.

“Good,” Nedley said with finality. “Well, I should sign those papers so we can all head home.”

He excused himself and headed toward the Captain’s office. Waverly followed his movements willfully to hide the fact that her attention was helplessly captive to the woman beside her.

Once turned back around, it was hard for Waverly not to let herself get a little bit lost in Nicole’s dark, warm eyes, especially because she could remember how soft her lips had felt beneath her own, how smooth her skin had been under her fingertips in that barely-there moment when she’d been brave enough to play her part.

The kiss had been about who she was supposed to be when undercover, but still, the seconds too long Nicole had taken to open her eyes… Longing curled itself around Waverly’s chest at the memory, part of it reaching her throat with a thick grip. She swallowed, surprised by the sudden threat of drowning.

“How long till you’re let go?” She asked, mostly to distract herself from her own thoughts.

“We need to have them see me being brought to interrogation too. After that I’m good to go, at least for today.”

Waverly nodded, not quite knowing where to go from there. She kept her eyes low, watching her own hands wrapped around the bars.

“I have to go soon. Will you be coming to Purgatory tonight too?” She looked up again and felt a tentative touch on her knuckles, Nicole’s energy suddenly gentler.

“No, I have some stuff to wrap up with this case. I’ll be there next week, though.”

“Right.” She spread her fingers instinctively, allowing for Nicole’s to fit in the spaces in-between. Indecision weighted on her, tightening the muscles of her face. There was something on the tip of her tongue, a feeling or thought that didn’t yet make sense. “I really need to go.”

Nicole nodded and pulled her hand back, the tips of her fingers dragging on the back of Waverly’s for a moment that seemed to stretch itself.

Waverly took a step back, but was stopped by Nicole’s voice before she could take another one.

“Do you actually like sweet drinks?”

Waverly searched Nicole’s face, looking for meaning. “Sometimes.”

Nicole licked her lips, the action alone almost making Waverly walk that step forward again.

“Would you like to have one with me sometime next week?”

“Yes,” She sighed, relieved somehow and a lot more resolved. She raised her chin, meeting Nicole’s eyes and letting bravado color her words. “Though, you know, it’s my town, so I guess I’ll be the one taking you out for drinks. I can take you to our best bars- or, well, _bar_ , singular, and introduce you to the small town life and its locals.”

“Yea?” Nicole’s smile was infectious.

“Yea,” she bit her cheeks to control her own smile. “And Nicole? I'm, _kind of officially_ , the town sweetheart. You couldn’t have asked for a better guide.”

Nicole’s chest raised and fell in a deep breath, the words falling from her lips in tandem. “Yea, I can see that. You can take me wherever, town sweetheart. Promise I'll follow.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I took half of forever to post this second part. Very sorry about that, but I really didn't have a lot of time these past two months. And it's a small thing, as it usually is with me. It's fine, we're all fine. I have accepted this.

**Author's Note:**

> Peeps, it's been so long I don't think I know how to write my own name anymore.  
> Feel free to point out any mistakes in spelling or if I used two words that don't go together in English or whatever other technical stuff I may have used wrong. I won't be offended, promise.


End file.
